3 years ago
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Bogota, Colombia (CNN)Colombia whitethorn person yet recovered a solution to 1 of the lesser-known legacies of notorious cause trafficker Pablo Escobar: invasive hippos.
A fistful of hippos brought to Colombia successful the 1980s for Escobar's backstage zoo has grown to a colonisation of 80, prompting biologists to explicit interest implicit their biology interaction and menace to quality safety. In January, a survey published successful Biological Conservation called for the increasing herd -- present ranging chaotic successful the Antioquia section -- to beryllium culled.
The determination authorities has alternatively tried neutering the tremendous beasts, but accepted surgical sterilization is excessively unsafe and demanding to standard up. Only 11 of the hippos person truthful acold been sterilized this way, according to section authorities.
On Friday, however, the determination biology bureau Cornare announced its efforts to power the hippo colonisation had led to 24 much hippos being treated with a caller method: darts laden with the contraceptive cause GonaCon.
Compared to surgery, GonaCon is "a overmuch cheaper option," according to a Cornare statement. "However it is inactive analyzable since experts suggest giving 3 doses, based connected studies and comparisons made successful different ample animals specified arsenic horses." The aforesaid cause has been tested connected different chaotic carnal populations, including chaotic horses successful the United States, kangaroos successful Australia and chaotic cattle successful Hong Kong, it said.
Scientists indispensable present way the efficacy of the cause by measuring hormone levels successful hippo feces.
"It is the archetypal clip that we are implementing this procedure. We are going to travel up and show it to find retired however palmy it tin be," said David Echeverri López, coordinator of the Cornare Forest and Biodiversity Group.
Escobar's hippopotamus postulation began with lone 1 antheral and 3 females. Upon his death, different taxon of exotic animals were relocated, but the hippos were near due to the fact that they were excessively hard to seizure and transport, according to the Biological Conservation study. They soon began to multiply, spreading astir the Magdalena stream basin from their archetypal location immoderate 100 miles eastbound of the metropolis of Medellin.
Research has shown antagonistic effects of hippo discarded connected oxygen levels successful bodies of water, which tin impact food and yet humans. Hippos besides airs a menace to agriculture and to the information of radical successful affected areas, according to the Biological Conservation study. In May 2020, a hippo onslaught near a 45-year-old antheral earnestly injured.
CNN's Stefano Pozzebon reported from Bogota, and Jack Guy contributed erstwhile reporting from London.
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